Fish stringer



M W W A Patented May 24, 1949 UNITED STATS Eric FISH STRINGER Kenneth L. Orton, St. Paul, Minn.

Application April 27, 1945, Serial No. 590,533

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to fish stringers.

It is an object of my invention to provide a fish stringer including means for readily securing and releasing the end of the stringer so that said stringer does not have to be tied to a support such as part of a boat and then untied and retied each time fish are added to the stringer.

More specifically it is an object of the invention to provide a socketed member which is adapted to removably receive a portion of the length of a exible fish stringer wherein the socketed member is provided with a catch device which is readily releasable and which will safely retain the fish stringer against accidental displacement and loss.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the type described which is simple and cheap in construction and which includes releasable looking means which can be readily disengaged with one hand.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a releasable retainer for a fish stringer which can be sold with a stringer as a complete set or can be sold separately for use with ccnventional types of stringers now being manufactured and sold.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying -drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the views, and, in which:

Figure '1 is a plan view with parts broken away and in section of a fish stringer and a releasable retainer therefor;

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the retainer unit;

Figure 3 is an enlarged section taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is an end view of the releasable catch member for the retainer.

In Figure 1 there is shown a fish stringer 5 which may conveniently be made of a piece of light strong rope or sash cord. On one end of the stringer 5 is a metal loop 6 and on the other end is an elongated pointed metal tip 1.

In Figures 1 and 2 there is shown an elongated tubular member 8 which is, as shown, open at both ends so that the stringer 5 can be passed therethrough, at least throughout a porton of the length of the stringer. The upper end of the tubular member 8 is provided with an offset 9 to which is attached a chain H] which provides means for securing the tubular member 8 to a suitable support such as part of a shipping boat or the like.

The side wall of the tubular member 8 is provided with a pair of spaced outwardly extending lugs ll between which is positioned a cam shaped catch l`2 supported on a rivet 13 for pivotal movement relative to the lugs fll and the tubular member 8. The lugs H define the sides of an opening Id in the side wall of the tubular member 8 and the cam shaped catch 12 is adapted to swing through the opening M and into and out of the interior of the tubular member 8. As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4 the cam shaped catch IZ is provided with a corrugated edge E5.

The lower portions of the lugs H are bent to- Ward each other to provide an enciosure E5 which houses a tension spring II. The spring has one end secured within the housing Hi as shown at 18 and the other end of the spring H is connected to the cam-shaped catch l'2 as indicated at |9, said catch being provided with a cut-away portion or recess 28 into which the end of the spring extends. The spring connection is so related to the pivot |3 of the catch |2 that it yieldably urges said catch into the interior of the tubular member 8 to releasably engage the stringer 5.

It is clear from the drawing and above description that when the ponted end 'i of the stringer 5 is passed through the tubular member 8 the spring actuated catch 5,2 will releasably grip the stringer 5 and prevent it from being drawn downwardly through the tubular member 8 until the catch 12 is swung outwardly under pressure by the thumb or finger of the user. When the stringer is released it can be readily slipped from the tubular retainer 8 and when a fish is placed on the stringer the latter can be quickly and easily locked in position as shown in Figure 1. The retainer is simple in construction and it eliminates the necessity for tying and untying the stringer each time a fish is placed thereon. It is of compact structure and as stated previously can be manufactured and sold with a stringer or it can be sold separately for use with Stringers such as are now in wide use.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the Various parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a fish stringer, an elongated fiexible element upon which fish are to be strung, a socketed member for removably receiving said fiexible element and having means thereon for attachment to a support, and a cam-like catch pivotally mounted on said socketed member and swingable into and out of said member to releasably secure said fiexible element in said socketed member.

2. The structure in claim 1 and a device in engagement with said cam-like catch and yieldably urging said catch into said socketed member.

3. In a fish stringer, an elongated fiexible element having a securing device on one end and a threading tip on the other end, an open e'nded tubular member having a side Wall aperture therein, said member being adapted to removably receive said flexible element, a pivoted catch supported by said tubular member and swingable into REIFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 849,410 Mills Apr. 9, 1907 878,626 Guilford Feb. 11, 1908 1.250,8'76 I-Iicks Dec. 18, 1917 l',725,324 Whitehead Aug. 20, 1929 

